June Roundup in July... Life Demands Delay Review... Mad God Lure Revealer

The combination of illness, physical rot, and some upbeat moments have resulted in another delayed roundup. The end of last month turned into a mess of me being debilitating sick (not Covid, though it is a fucked-up world when we feel grateful for having the common plague instead of the killer, but I digress) and having to do a lot of adult stuff. Mainly, finding myself somewhere to live. The upside is that I recovered, I secured a home, and now I can finally get back to my own private bullshit. I just wish my torn muscles – old injuries and creeping age – would get out of the way so I could type without feeling like nails are being hammered into my arm.

Anyway, I spent most of last month putting together articles for the fine folks over at Horror Obsessive. Mostly reviews, but these stand out, such as a review of Tim McGregor’s novelle Lure. I haven’t written anything close to a book review since high school. And while I don’t care to compare book criticism to elementary school book reports, it’s tempting to see them as similar. More than anything, I realized something very important about writing such reviews.

I’ve never been a big fan of book critics. However, I realized what it is I never cared for. Book critics, especially in periodicals like The New Yorker, for instance, seem more determined to prove how many books they’ve read as well as how academically deep they can analyze something. Writing my review, I made it a point not to treat McGregor’s novelle as a chance to prove how smart I might think I am. I just wanted people to know what they’d be getting into when they read the work and if it would be worth their time. See what you think.

Tim McGregor's Novella Lure Will Draw You in Quick - Horror Obsessive
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If nothing else, the publisher Tenebrous Press was happy with it. And hey, so was the author. Shameless self-promotion sharing my own good reviews, or just insecure cutting off impostor syndrome with a cleaver? You decide. Either way, the fact remains, I enjoyed writing this article and look forward to doing another.
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Another stand out moment was my review for the recent Shudder original, a horror movie called Revealer. This is my first flat out bad review. And I’ll be honest, for a tick I couldn’t wrap my head around how to crush this garbage flick. Like who the fuck am I to say what I said? But I did it because it was my honest reaction to the movie.

Revealer Exposes Little Entertaining - Horror Obsessive
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Finally, I got to see the stop-motion animation dark fantasy enthralling nightmare Mad God before it arrived on Shudder. All I have to say about this glorious hideousness is in the article below. Though some may already suspect praise, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. To find out what I mean, read the article.

Join the Cult of Mad God: A Review of a Burgeoning Cult Classic by Phil Tippett - Horror Obsessive
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Otherwise, thank you for your time. July promises to have some other glorious content coming. I’ve got article on the horizon about Dracula: Dead and Loving It as well a review for the upcoming documentary This is GWAR. So, stay tuned.
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Stay safe, be kind, and cheers!